Device for sampling bulk material



Jan. 13, 1931. G. s. MELOY DEVICEFOR SAMPLING- BULK MATERIAL Filed Dec. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvemtoz Jan. 13, 1.931. as. MELOY :5 5

DEVICE FOR SAMPLING BULK MATERIAL Fild Dec. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5- Mlog 6/ 1 I Mao/f Patented Jan. 13,1931 I g Q n 7 r r p 7 U I D STAT S l jgN-f- O Gu s. MELOY,,OF Lani-rm, nrsnyrlnnp I nnvrcn FOR semrrme BULK MATERIAL Application fi1ed December as, 1929. {Serial mi; 416,673.

This invention relates to devices for tak- Figure 2, parts being broken away to-show i-ng samples from the interior of a mass of the construction; J l bulk material. v Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sections'sub- Where the material to be sampled is of a stantially on the lines 4-4 and 5+5 of F ig- 5 loose freely flowing granular nature, such as ure 3, lookingin the direction of the arrows,

sand, ore, Wheat, etc., it has long been cusand showing the parts indifferent positions; tomary to take samples by means-of ahollow Figure 6 is a fragmentaryview similar to red or the like thrust; into the material and Figure 3 but showing a slightly "modified conhaving openings or slots into which the mastruction; and a 1o terialican flow, sothat when the hollow rod Figure :7 is a perspective view of one of the so has been filled with material, it can be with jaws shown in Figure 6. v .dra-wn, bringingfthesample with it. Referring to the drawingsindetjails,my Whe're, however,-the material is of a more improved device comprises an'elongated hol or lesssticky or fibrousnat-ure, and is of such low body 1, shown asjsemi-cylindrical in.

II consistency that it will not flow freely into shape, and provided with atop plate or 65,

theholes-or openings of such a sampling rod, cover 2, preferably concave, as shown in ai-problem'is presented which heretofore,;so Figures 4 and 5. This cover maybe secured faras I am aware, has remained unsolved. to the body-1* in any suitable manner. In One material which it'is-particularly dethe drawing, I have shown the cover 2 as .20, sirableto sample in 'this-way'andwhich is provided 'with flanges 29 overlapping thef vof-such a nature'ias to render ordinary samside edges of the body l, and secured in popling' rods useless, is cotton seed. The seed sition by meansfofscrews 2 f To one end has a certain amount of lint or fiber adhering of the hollow body thus formed 'is secured a 1 to it and when it is shipped in bulk, as for ex-' sharpened or tapered point 3, having a nar- 5 ample in freight cars, the seeds cling torow cutting edge so that the device may be 7 40 consists inthe construction and arrangement gether and form a compact masswhich is readily thrust into a compact mass of'rnasubstantiallynon-flowing.V r terial such as cottonseed, To'the opposite- V The object of the present invention is, end of the'bodyfiis-secured a cross bar or therefore, to provide a sampling devicewhich handle 4, byjmeans of whichthe device may 30 can be thrust into a mass of clingy fibrous or be manipulated. non-flowing material such as cottonseed, and Supported within the body -1 and con which, when withdrawn, will bring with it a' f r i g-Wi h h shape of t i ri rtheresample in the form of a core showing a true Of are two series of arcuate spaced fingers or cross'section f th mass a jaws 6 and 7, each extending substantially iwiththe above Object in View, and to 180 in length, The ends of these aws are 85, I vide a device of this character which" shall preferably'pomted as h 5W6 VF l e be relatively cheap in construction and sim- T or cover Plate Provlded Wlth ple and efiicient in operation, theinvention two s of g? 9 510118 along each-edge, arranged to register w th the position of the respective jaws Band 7, and 90. a through which thesejaws maybe projected. v The inner ends of each of the jaws 6 and 7 is provided on its inner sidewith a toothed rack G and 7, and these toothediracksa're;

ofparts hereinafter. described and claimed, and illustrated in they accompanying drawings, in which: H

. Figure 1 is a perspective View ofmy .45 proved sampling devi s pp -B' adapted to mesh respectively'with'two series readJ V i 1 of pinions 11 and 12, carried by a pair of Z F1gure 2, 1s a sidenelevatlon of th ame, shafts 9 and 10, which extend longitudinally on an enlarged scale,:-parts being broken away of the body and which are journall d in two and parts shown in section; or moreobearings such as 13.

" Figure 3 is a planviewon the same, scale as It 'fwillf be observed that the 't'eeth of theracks 6 and 7 extend inwardly beyond the inner edge of the smooth portions of the jaws 6 and 7, and the shafts 9 and 10 are so mounted that each of these shafts clears the toothed racks with which the pinions on the other shaft engage. Thus, the racks on adjacent jaws are engaged by pinions on di'ii'erent shafts. Moreover, the two shafts 9 and 10 are geared together soas to rotate in synchronism. A convenient way of doing this is to make each pinion llor l2 con siderably longer than required to engage the corresponding rack, the portions'of the two pinions projecting beyond the racks being in mesh with each otherf In fact, in practice I have found it expedient to form the shafts and pinionsof fluted bars, cutting away the flutes or teeth-where necessary to permit the arcuate racks. to. pass, and permitting the flutes to occupy all of the remaining length of the shafts. Q

One of theshafts as for example theshaft 9, extends through the end wall of the-body or casing, and is provided with a handle. 1 4: bymeans, of whichit may be turned. 7

.The jaws 6 and 7 are spaced apart and held in position by. means of guides or ribs 8, as clearlyqshownin Figures 2 and 3.. One of these ribs is interposed between each pair of jaws. As-shown in 1*? igure 2, the ribs are cut away alternately on-oppositesides through approximately one-half of their length, as indicated at 8 and are provided at-the end of such cut away portion with. a, shoulder S"; To the endof each of thelrack portions of ,the jaws is'secured a. stop. pin 6 or 7 ,.and these pins'engage the shoulders 8 to limit the movement ofthe jaws in one direction. Similar shoulders are formed at the otherends of the .cut away portionsfi of :the ribsto engage the stop pins and limit the movement of the jaws in the other direction, such second shoulders being obscured in Figure 3 by the shafts and pinions.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the two series of 'arcuate fingersor jaws are normally housed within the casing or hollow body, sothat the device, when ready for insertioninto the mass of material, is in the nature of anelongated bar, as shown in Figure 1, having at one end a taperedor sharpened point and at the other end a manipulating handle, and. also the operating means for the jaws. In fact, my improved device, in its general appearance and method ofhandling, is not very unlike an ordinary crow bar; 7 I 7 When it is desired to take a sampleof bulk material such as cotton seed,the deviceis" thrust into the masses, faras desired. 1 The handle '14 is then turned, thus rotating the twov shafts 9. and10, andlbymeans of the. racks andpinions, projecting the'two series of fingers or jaws outwardly through the openings 5 into'the positionshown in Figure 4. These jaws when in this position, it will be seen, enclose or embrace between themselves'and the concave top' or face 2 of the body a core of the material to be sampled. When, therefore, after the jaws have been thus projected, the device is withdrawn from core corresponding inlengthto the distance the device was thrust into the mass, and this core represents a true cross section of the material} Thus it can be readily determined whether a carload of cottonseed, for examplefis'of the 'same grade or quality throughout. 7 v i -Vhile Thave sho-wn'the body'formed of sheet metaljwith the ribs or guides, 8 secured thereto, as by riveting, it will, of course, be understood'that the body and ribs may be cast integral, ifgdesired, and that in this case, the point will also be cast with thebody. H

-The spacing of the jaws will, of. course, be determined by the natureof-the' material for which the device isdesigned, the more fibrous or the coarser the material ijs,.the farther apart will i the jaws be placed.

On theother hand, if thematerial is usually fine ,or .of a. semi-fluent nature, i

maybe desirable to place the jaws so close together that there is but a very small-space ayemployfthe construction illustrated in Fig between them- For this purpose,

ures, 6 and 7 in which the jaws, -i-nstead of the mass of material, it brings with it a being of uniform cross section throughout,

may have their' outer half widened by providing it with webs .l5,,as shownin Figure 7. A. These webs may be either cast integral withthe'rest oiille jaw, or maybe formed of sheet material and secured thereto. These webs or flanges 15 are constructed to overlie the'guide stripsor ribs 8, as shown Figure 6, and the distance between the aidjacent edges of the: webs of the jaws need be no greater t-han the width: of the tail or rack portion, thereof. fOtlierwise, the construetion and operation of the modification shownin Figuresfi and 7 is the same as that above described, V 1

What I claim is: V I j v 1. A sampling device for bulk material comprising an elongated closed, hollowbody adapted to beinserted into the material, and means normally housed within said bodyand out of contact with the-material for embracing a'portion of the material adjacent to but outside of said-body to form a core.

2. A device fortakinga sample' of a mass of material, comprising an elongated body of substantially"uniform section throughout andhaving'asharpened end adapted to be thrust into the mass, and means carried by said-body for embracing a portion of the material adjacent to butgoutside of'saidbody, to form a core of a lengthEsubstant-ially coextensivewithsaid .bod'y. Y

3. A device for taking a sample of a mass of material, comprising a hollow bar adapted to be thrust into the :mass and a series of fingers normally housed Within said bar and disposed along the length thereof-for embracing a portion of the material adjacent to but outside of said bar to form a core.

4. A device for removing a sample of material from a mass, comprising an elongated body having opposed jaws disposed at the edges thereof and normally housed within said body, and means for projecting said jaws from said body'toward each other so as to embrace a core of material between themselves and said body.

5. A device for removing a sample of material from a mass, comprising an elongated so as to embrace a core of material betweenwithin said body, and means for'projecting terial from a mass, comprising an elongated body of semi-cylindrical shape, two series of said body and normally housed within the same, a rack formedon a portion of each body and a plurality of pinions carried by each shaft, the pinions on each shaft engag a from said body. 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GUY S. MELOY.

body of semi-cylindricalshape, having a consaid jaws from said body toward each other themselves and said concave face.

' 6. A device for removing a sample of material from a mass, comprising an elongated,

bar shaped body, a series of jaws disposed 1 at each edge of said body and normally housed within the same, and means for simultaneously projecting the two series of jaws to 7 Ward each other so as to cause them to embrace a core of material between themselves and said body.

7. A device for removing a sample of material from a mass, comprising an elongated, bar shaped body, a series of jaws disposed at each edge of said body and normally housed within the same, and means extending throughout'the length of said body and operable from one end thereof for simultaneously projecting the'two series of jaws toward each other to embrace a core of material between them.

8. A device for removing a sample-of ma- V terial from a mass, compr1s1ng an elongated, bar shaped body, tapered at one end and provided at theother end with a handle by means of which it may be thrust into the mass of material, opposed jaws carried by said body and normally housed within the same, and means operable from the handle end of'said body for simultaneously projecting said jaws toward each other'to embrace a core of material between them.

9. A device for removing a sample of material from a mass, comprising an elongated body of semi-cylindrical shape, a series of arcuate jaws disposed at the edge of said body, and normally housed within the same, a rack' formed on a portion of each jaw, an

operating shaft extending longitudinally of said shaft, said jaws may beprojectedfrom said body, 7

10. A device for removinga sample of maopposed arcuate jaws movably mountedv in jaw, a pair of operating shafts geared 'to-- gether and extendinglongitudinally of said 

